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Smart Suspensions

By

Michelle Higgins Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated Jan. 20, 2005 12:01 a.m. ET

What Is It: Auto makers are touting shock absorbers that have a brain. The goal is to make a car's suspension more adaptable to road conditions -- so on a potholed street it gives a cushy ride, but on a flat, winding road it offers a firmer, sporty feel. Devices like these are showing up in brands including Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and BMW. Cars That Have It: Cadillac's system uses powerful electro-magnets to adjust the car's bounciness. It's standard on the XLR and available as an option on the STS V8 and SRX V8. Jaguar's "Computer Active Technology Suspension" is standard on all XJ models . Like...